Atlantic City’s The Iron Room has made it through to the final four in New Jersey Monthly’s Best Whiskey Bar poll. You can read more about the competition and vote for The Iron Room here through Oct. 30.
Revel Problems
Glenn Straub is suing the state to reduce the tax bill he pays for the still-shuttered Revel. Straub has not been able to get a casino license to reopen Revel as a casino. He says it should not be taxed as a casino under the Atlantic City PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program because it was closed when the legislation went into effect last year. The lawsuit says that under the PILOT Straub is paying about $3 million more a year than he would pay in regular property taxes. Straub is not coming out of left field with this suit, since not all casinos or former casinos are part of the PILOT. One other closed casino – the former Taj Mahal, set to reopen next year as the Hard Rock Atlantic City – is not included. Read more via The Press of Atlantic City’s Nicholas Huba.
Sonic Boom
A boom heard around Atlantic County and parts of Cape May yesterday morning was caused by an F-35 fighter jet from Maryland, according to the 177th Fighter Wing. The aircraft from Maryland was just off the coast, Lynda Cohen reports for BreakingAC.
Chardonnay Go
So apparently there was some viral video that a Moorestown woman (and her son) shot last year in which she spoofed Pokemon Go by running around town looking for some Chardonnay: “It’s really simple, it says there’s a glass close by right now… Oh my gosh! I found it!” Anyhow, Dena Blizzard (the viral video protagonist) has now launched Chardonnay Go as a board game and (even though it’s not an actual drinking game) The Inquirer’s Elizabeth Wellington said she had a great time playing.
In the rest of the day’s headlines, senate and assembly candidates from NJ’s second district (most of Atlantic County) agreed on creating a Growth Zone around the Atlantic City airport but disagreed over making New Jersey a sanctuary state, only one seat on Linwood City Council is being challenged, Ventnor could get a Dunkin’ Donuts, read this piece about South Asian voters (and candidates) in New Jersey, the white supremacist group that leafleted Stockton University recently has also been active at Rutgers, and a produce company has bought Vineland’s closed Progresso soup plant. All that and more below:
Just One Challenged Race For Linwood City Council–Voters will find only one seat challenged for City Council on the November 7 ballot. Incumbent Ward 1 Republican Eric Ford is being opposed by Democrat Michael Sommers. www.shorenewstoday.com
Northfield Candidates Square Off For Ward 1, At-Large Seats–Voters here will go to the polls to elect Ward 1, Ward 2 and at-large City Council members Tuesday, November 7. Two longtime council members, Republican Greg Dewees and Democrat Frank Perri, are squaring off for the at-large seat currently held by Perri. www.shorenewstoday.com
Avalon Tables Ordinance Banning Ice Cream Trucks–Borough Council voted Wednesday evening to table a measure that would have banned ice cream trucks after residents and a vendor voiced concerns about the proposal. The ordinance was crafted in response to complaints about the noise of the trucks and public-safety issues with trucks stacking up at the ends of streets near the beach, Business Administrator Scott Wahl said. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Deutsche Bank Settles Interest-Fixing Claims For $220 Million–New Jersey and dozens of other states have reached a $220 million agreement with Deutsche Bank to settle claims that employees of the German-based financial institution were manipulating interest rates for several years. The interest-rate manipulation took place between 2005 and 2009, according to a settlement agreement released yesterday, and it impacted the financial transactions of several entities in New Jersey, including the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the state public-employee pension system. www.njspotlight.com